As the season wore on, Demario Davis took a much larger role with the defense, but it wasn’t a completely smooth transition for Davis in 2012 as he admitted that he had a tough time adjusting to run game in the NFL and he’s bulked up some this offseason to better handle the run.

Still, that doesn’t mean he’s going to lose any ability to work against the pass, according to Davis in an article on the Jets official website written by Eric Allen.

“I’ve been playing the spread most of my life, so coverage is natural for me. I can get out there and run and it’s not just about speed,” said the Arkansas State product, a third-round pick of the Jets in 2012. “It’s about knowing where to be and how to get to the ball and when the ball goes up. Coverage— especially man-to-man — is like playing backyard football. You’ve been doing that since you were a little kid, so I’m pretty natural at that.”

The Jets will count on Davis in a big way this season. After releasing Bart Scott, the Green & White turned to Davis at the inside linebacker position next to David Harris. The 6’2”, 239-pound Davis hit the weight room hard in the offseason and has noticeably added a lot of muscle.

Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com

There’s going to be a lot different in 2013 when it comes to the Jets defense and Demario Davis will play a role in that. We’ll have to see just how the Jets use him in 2013, but he should be a two down player and might also be used in three down situations, depending on what looks the Jets are trying to give. The NFL is much more spread focused now than ever, and as Davis notes, his skill there is where he feels most comfortable. During Ryan’s tenure, the Jets would often use nickel packages and not replace their base ILBs Bart Scott and David Harris. Now as the Jets look to the future without Bart Scott, will Davis be used just the same? Or will the team put a player like Barnes or Pace on the field in third down situations?